College Kid Get Hit On Their Bike? 3 Things to Teach Them About Personal Injury Claims

Hearing that a car just hit your college-aged child while they were riding their bike to school is a parent’s worst nightmare come true. Naturally, you want to make sure that they are physically okay and that their needs are met during their recovery. As you help your child file their personal injury claim, use these tips to make sure that everything is handled properly.

Collect Evidence

The first thing you will need to do is make sure that your child has proof of any negligence on the part of the other driver. For example, they may refer a witness to an experiencedpersonal injury lawyer Chicago residents rely on that can vouch for the fact that the driver was distracted by their cell phone right before the accident. Photographs of the accident scene along with medical screenings of your child’s injuries are also helpful for proving their case.

Keep Documents Organized

Although your kid is learning to manage their life independently at college, they may still be unprepared for how much paperwork is involved with a personal injury claim. Give them a filing system, and show them how to organize papers such as bills that are involved with their case. Alternatively, they can scan important papers, which makes it easier for them to email or print them off for their personal injury lawyer Chicago cyclists trust when dealing with a personal injury. This will also help to ensure that every detail of the case is fully documented, and you won’t miss out on compensation due to losing a bill or medical recommendation for treatment.

Avoid Posting On Social Media

College kids live online today, and it is going to be tempting for your kid to post about their injuries on social media. However, this can come back to haunt them if the driver’s insurance company tries to prove that your kid’s injuries are not what they claim. Your kid may also need to delete past posts about illness or pain that could be used by an insurance company to claim that the injury listed in the case was preexisting. Once your kid does a little cleaning up of their social media, make sure that they lock their account with full privacy settings, and encourage them to continue to refrain from talking about their injuries until after the case has been fully resolved.

You sent your child to college so that they can build a better life, and you always though riding a bike to school should be healthy. Sadly, negligent people in the world can do a lot of damage when they don’t care to watch out for cyclists and pedestrians. By choosing to help your kid through this difficult time, you can make sure that they have what they need for the best possible recovery.